OHSU's Accelerated BSN 2015 cohort

[lmmccauley]

Hi there everyone. I didn't see a thread started yet, so I thought I would start one.

I am applying for the 2015 Accelerated BSN cohort (Portland campus) and am very nervous about the whole process with Nursing CAS and having transcripts sent to them.

I am also curious if anyone out there has an idea of what they are looking for and who will get interviews? It makes me nervous that there is no essay, so I assume that interviews will be based on grades alone. I have an undergraduate degree in Art History with a 3.64 GPA and a prereq GPA of 3.76 from PCC. Does anyone know if I even stand a chance? I have taken all of the prerequisites except for Micro, which I plan on taking in the winter.

It sounds like the interviews and no essays is a new thing? Does anyone know? Here's to hoping I at least get an interview!

[FunkySkunk]

Is it unnecessarily complicated? Or shockingly minimalist?

Haha I feel like the biggest challenge is overcoming the fact that they want hardly any information about me as an applicant. Just give me a couple of pages to bs about myself, OHSU!

Also, I continue to have anxiety about missing an element of the application. I am serious when I ask someone to please confirm that they uploaded the same documents: Supplemental App, Coursework Form, Course Descriptions (if necessary).

Thanks!

[spaceshuttleboy]

To me, the complicated part is having to use the Nursing CAS portal, as opposed to just applying directly to the school through a native application portal. And since the Nursing CAS has more fields that we are not required to fill out to apply to OHSU, many are left blank, contributing to our impression, like you said, that something is missing.

But, I just looked again on the OHSU Steps to Apply page, what you've listed (The Supplemental Essay, the Prerequisite/Coursework Sheet (with descriptions, if necessary, and the transcript to Nursing CAS) seems to be everything.

There'll be an interview March 5th and March 6th that applicants (to the Portland ABSN) will be required to attend in person. They'll be notified about that late February, according to the site. During that interview (which, apparently will be several mini-interviews), there will also be an essay to write. So, you'll have a lot of time to commandeer the spotlight onto yourself. :-)

Is this your first choice school?

[FunkySkunk]

While I did see the general information about the interviews, I didn't realize that they would only occur over the course of two days! I wonder how many people they will interview. It can't be all that many, given the short time frame.

I waver back and forth between OHSU and UW. It would definitely be a tough decision in the miraculous event that I am admitted to both.

What is your first choice? UW, right? For any specific reasons?

[spaceshuttleboy]

The interviews might not be over two days -- it might be for one day or the other. Although, two days in Portland would be entirely amazing, no? :-)

My first choice was really OHSU since the very moment I learnt about the school. We just "clicked." It's strong in research, which is something I'd love to work in. The graduates are nicely respected, and I feel the school has a welcoming environment, where it encourages learning and offers a practical extension of your skills as a clinician. It's in a lovely city. (Portland > Seattle), and it's not very expensive, really.

I've started the application and uploaded the documents, but I haven't submitted it. The deadline is Jan 5, and my timeline is basically this: UW sends out their admissions decisions by December 15-ish. We know a few days afterwards. If I don't get in, then I'll either go to NYU (to which I'm accepted) or then submit my application to OHSU, and hope to get in to that, or one of the other schools I've applied to for the May/June period. Johns Hopkins would be wonderful. The truth is (and I hope the UW AdCom isn't reading this) -- I'm not so stoked about going to UW; I only applied because it was the #1 ranked school, and I already live in Seattle. But, it's just perfunctory. It's like dating someone who is "tolerable" but isn't your true love. It is the cheapest program of them all, though, so I'm keeping my hat in the ring.

[katgreen]

My guess regarding the interview set-up is that there may be a combination of a short personal interview and then a "group" interview of some sort, which would allow for more people on one day. Someone I knew who went to UC Denver for the accelerated nursing program a year or two ago said they were asked to collaborate on a task in small random groups to show how they interacted with others in a "team" setting, etc. I think I remember the admissions people at OHSU saying that about three times the number of admitted students are invited for interviews, which would be about 180 or so, based on previous cohort sizes, right? ...This is all just a guess, though!

[mwpdx]

Phew, application submitted! That is a great feeling. I certainly agree with everyone that Nursing CAS / OHSU instructions were a lot to wade through, but I think I got it all. Now only 3 months to prepare for interviews.... :)

[ajw414, ASN, RN]

Yes - it seems like it's not enough!! I agree with you. I only uploaded my supplemental application questions, course descriptions, and prerequisite course form.

[Heavenlyred]

Is this the group for the ABSN with the MSN attached to it? If so have you guys heard anything from them. I realized that the NursingCas application missed a few of the required items needed and it was not until the school email me to let me know this that I realized it. Now i am freaking out because the school emailed me again telling me that NursingCas has my application as received not as completed even thought is completed. I try calling Nursingcas but they never answer their phones.

[Elou]

Hi Heavenlyred,

I had something similar happen with one of my transcripts. This is how I got it sorted:

I emailed two schools I had applied to using the system to let them know of the issue, that I was in contact with NursingCAS and my former college about it and that I had a PDF of that transcript available if they need it right away. Then I called NursingCAS over the course of an hour until I spoke to someone. I redialed about 12 times before I was told that someone would pick up my call, and then waited about 15 minutes to speak with someone. When I spoke to someone on the phone I was told that it wasn't received, even though they had received the other transcript. The gentleman told me it would take about a week after they received the transcript for it to be uploaded to the system. Then I overnighted a copy of my transcript to NursingCAS. They must have had the first copy I sent around somewhere because it showed up in the system the next day and everything was solved.

So really don't worry that much, let the schools know the issue and that you are on top of it and be persistent in contacting NursingCAS. It will all get worked out, you've already done all the hard work!

[hkmvf6]

Hi everyone. I am quite the early bird, I am looking to make a big career change and ulitmately I want to become a midwife. I discovered the OHSU ABSN program and am beginning to take the pre-req courses with PCC this spring. I am actually not looking to apply to OHSU until fall of 2016, but I am looking for more information about the program and what type of back-up options I should have as I start planning this change. If it helps, I have a BA in psych from 2005, a law degree from 2008, and a certificate in health policy from 2008. My BA GPA was a 3.587, my law GPA was 3.05, and my certificate GPA was 3.82. I am having difficulty finding information about the competitiveness of the OHSU ABSN program specifically. It's very scary trying to plot out a big career change which will require a period of no earnings without some of this information. There are no info sessions currently listed on the OHSU website so I would appreciate any insights those of you that are currently going through the process can offer to someone planning to go through the process. Thanks so much! And good luck to all of you!

[ajw414, ASN, RN]

Hey everybody! Has anyone heard from OHSU yet about an interview for the AccBacc program? I'm so nervous! The email said that we should hear something by mid to late February, unless you didn't get an interview. In which case, you hear nothing. Yikes...what a way to be rejected. Anyway, just checking in here! Also, has anyone got any pointers on loans and financing?

[mwpdx]

I haven't heard anything yet - though I don't have a lot of hope for the accelerated program at this point. Once nursing CAS calculated my GPA it was lower than I thought, only a 3.25. At the information session they said the lowest GPA accepted last year was a 3.5. But you never know!